> Sandro, I recorded these on a modern Steinway.

Sorry, misunderstanding by my fault. I've no doubt on your instrument (an excellent
modern piano, as you confirm). But, some pianists use it like an harpsichord, others as
a modern orchestra, others as computer keyboard....
The sound you choose to obtain in these pieces seems to me a fortepiano sound.
Sweet, intimate and also dry, without explosion in dinamics and pedalling.
IMHO a very fascinating choice (or casual but equally interesting), in a difficult contest: which is the correct sound for harpsichord music (but also classic and romantic music, which was not conceived
for instruments so similar to modern pianos) on modern piano?


All best,
Sandro.

As someone at least must have seen, I did include the entire translation table for Longo versus Kirkpatrick and even Pestelli at the bottom of the Scarlatti Sonata page. Hell of a job.

I really love the K.27 sonata and my reference is really something as it is the live video of Michelangeli. One of the very rare videos of him playing live and but for that he plays it 50% faster than you do, it is absolutely perfect. Not only note perfect but also all notes are equally cared about and the fast double notes are equally loud. But we should not compare with Michelangeli at Piano Society . Or anywhere. You play this sonata really well and even though it can be a bit more even here and there, it is really enjoyable to listen to. Much more difficult than it sounds.

The second (K.380) is rather famous too and many pianists have this is the recital (even Horowitz played it as in the famous Moscow concert). You play it very well too but the untuned piano disturbs a bit but you catch the mood in it which is very important.

I have very little experience with K.531 but is sounds like you pull this off best of them all. Perhaps it is me who does not know it well enough but all ornaments are executed really well and there is no problems or hesitations in your playing.

Overall, very well done!

Dear Robert. I am very much a Michelangeli fan, bt I think his playing of this
sonata is atrocious! Insanely too fast--all the beauty is lost . I like the recording of Jose Iturbi, as well as many others, who play it at a reasomable tempo.

Raymond

Heh yes, I remembered that after I had looked it up elsewhere on the web....
Never seen or heard anybody refer to the Pestelli numbering. Bad enought that we have two in use already.I just hope to god some silly sod will not go and renumber all of Bach and Mozart ...

>Dear Robert. I am very much a Michelangeli fan,

I too.


> bt I think his playing of this
sonata is atrocious! Insanely too fast--all the beauty is lost .

I agree at 80%. I find excellent Gilels live recording (Lugano, one of his last concerts,
there is a "Hermitage" CD) of this and other sonatas of that recital.

Sandro.

I must admit that I am somewhat thrilled that Michelangeli for once seems to take chances here and the let out something of the beast he caged in control long time ago . Musically, what I like is that the top melody gets connected in this tempo in another way which I think makes sense. Also, it is well known that Scarlatti was a harpichord virtuoso so it is possible he played it this way too.

But, a matter of taste of course and do not take this as a bad critique on your recording from my side as it is not. I have listened to your recording many times now and really like it.

Now, wouldn't that be fun! I start off right away and do this as my next coming Piano Society project.